Police warning after counterfeit £20 notes in circulation in Omagh

POLICE have warned of counterfeit £20 notes currently in circulation in the Omagh area.

According to the PSNI, fake Bank of England £20 notes have been reported locally, and bear striking resemblance to genuine tender.

However, they have asked retailers to be aware of a number of telling discrepancies that will reveal if notes are fraudulent.

The fraudulent note lacks a feature of genuine notes on the 'hologram', which alters  between the words ‘twenty’ and ‘pounds’ when it is tilted. Counterfeit notes will also have 'bleaching' of the Queen's head on the transparent part of the note.

A PSNI spokesperson said: "Police would encourage retailers to be on the lookout for counterfeit Bank of England £20 notes that are known to be in circulation in the Omagh area.

"The notes on top are genuine. At first glance the counterfeits are quite deceptive but there are a few features that you can keep an eye out for.

"The serial numbers are the same, DE64 816983. The hologram on the lower left of the front of the note should alter between the words ‘twenty’ and ‘pounds’ when you tilt it. The fake note doesn’t have this feature.

"This hologram is on a strip running from the top to the bottom of the note. Run your nail across this strip side to side. You will feel a ridge on the genuine note where the strip begins and ends which is not on the fake.

"The rest of the hologram lacks details and has little if any iridescence. The picture of Her Majesty on the reverse of the note is quite bleached out."

The spokesperson added: "Not all counterfeits will have the same flaws so it is important to check all of the security features. The best advice that we can give is to compare any suspect notes to genuine ones.

"If you are given a counterfeit note, advise the customer that you are obliged to retain it and contact police on 101."